Lover's Knot

by Louise Clark

  Settling himself on a chair that was near Alysa, but a proper distance away, Philip said, “Thank you, Lady Strathern, I would enjoy a glass.”

  A sparkling crystal decanter and glasses resided on a beautiful table that had obviously been lovingly kept. Philip’s gaze rested briefly on the polished walnut and a flicker of emotion remarkably like abhorrence danced for a moment in his eyes, then was gone so quickly that Alysa, who was watching him closely from beneath demurely lowered lids, wondered if she had imagined it.

  He thanked Abigail as she handed him a glass; then he sampled the wine with grave pleasure. “A fine vintage. Pray convey my compliments to Lord Strathern on his choice of wines.”

  “My husband will be with us in a few minutes. I am sure he will be happy to hear your compliment himself, Sir Philip.”

  Philip nodded, sipped the wine again and shot Alysa a considering look over the top of the glass. “I hope that your dangerous ride the other day has caused you no injury, Mistress Alysa.”

  Alysa smiled and the mischievous dimple appeared in her cheek. “Indeed, sir, it has not. Thanks to your timely intervention all I had was a momentary scare and even that has faded over the past days.”

  He raised an ironic black brow. “Then you have no lingering fear as a result of your misfortune?”

  Laughing, Alysa retorted, “I have always enjoyed a good gallop, Sir Philip. I refuse to allow the fear of a tumble to keep me from the saddle.”

  “Then it seems that my mission here today is unnecessary.” Philip’s lips curved in a small, enigmatic smile that fascinated both of the young women in the room. While Alysa considered the meaning behind his words and smile, Prudence rushed into speech.

  She clapped her hands together with enthusiasm and said with her usual bluntness, “Sir Philip, pray do tell us what your plans are! I know Alysa is just as intrigued as I am to know your secrets!”

  Involuntarily, Philip stiffened.

  Alysa noticed the movement and her expression turned thoughtful. Then her beautiful, sweet smile blossomed on her lips. “My dear Prudence, we must be polite and allow Sir Philip to keep his secrets if he so chooses. Ah, Papa, you have come to join us. I’m sure Sir Philip will be delighted. We were just talking about the secrets he is hiding from us all.”

  Philip sent her an annoyed glance as he rose to greet Lord Strathern. His look only made Alysa’s smile all the sweeter. A muscle flexed in his jaw, but he said smoothly, “Indeed, sir, my only secret is my heartfelt appreciation for your eldest daughter.”

  Strathern smiled with amusement and Alysa’s brows rose teasingly. A dull flush colored Philip’s cheeks, branding him as not the courtier he claimed to be or an honest man truly attracted to a lovely young woman.

  Lord Strathern was willing to accept that second, more obvious, explanation. He said mildly, “I have not had the opportunity to thank you properly for your assistance to my daughter last week. It was most fortunate that you were there to rescue her.”

  Philip bowed. “I was happy to be of service, Lord Strathern. Indeed, my mission today was to see if Mistress Alysa had quite recovered from her fright—”

  “As you can see, I have,” Alysa interrupted breezily.

  “—and to ask her if she would care to ride with me this afternoon.”

  His offer was greeted with an interesting response. Abigail folded her hands in her lap and cast a quick, sharp look at her husband, Prudence gasped and Alysa froze momentarily, her eyes wide with questions.

  Strathern smiled at his daughter. “Alysa must decide, of course, but I believe the afternoon will be fine. An excellent day to spend on a pleasure outing.”

  At her father’s words, Alysa stood. “As you say, Papa, it would be a shame to waste this lovely afternoon. Sir Philip, if you would consent to wait while I change into my riding habit I will be but a moment.”

  He bowed. “I should be delighted, Mistress Alysa.”

  “I must go and help Alysa to dress,” Prudence said. “It has been lovely seeing you again, Sir Philip.” She cast Abigail a conspiratorial look that was not lost on Philip before she hastily followed Alysa from the room.

  Edward chuckled softly at the quizzical look on Philip’s face. “My daughters are very close. Undoubtedly Prudence wants to discuss your invitation with Alysa. Now then, Sir Philip, I must caution you to avoid the area around the Easton River marsh. The footing is treacherous there. Much better to take Alysa to the Fenwick Cliffs. The ride is a pleasant one and the view from the edge of the cliffs is spectacular. I trust you know the area I am speaking of?”

  “I do not, my lord, but I am sure that your daughter or her groom can supply me with directions.”

  “It is an easy ride through open countryside.” By sending Alysa and Hampton to the Fenwick Cliffs, Strathern was ensuring her safety. The terrain would make it possible for the groom riding behind to keep Alysa and Philip in sight, thus guaranteeing that no harm would come to Alysa should Sir Philip prove to be more a cad than a gentleman. “My daughter is a very daring rider, Sir Philip. She seeks challenges and may tease you to choose another, more demanding path. However, I rely on you to keep her from any precipitate action.”

  A smile Philip couldn’t control quivered on his lips. “I shall do my best, my lord.”

  The expression in Strathern’s eyes hardened. “Alysa is very precious to me, Sir Philip. I would not have her come to any grief.”

  Philip said forcefully, “Not at my hands, Lord Strathern,” and for the second time that day he flushed.

  Strathern took his reddened cheeks as further evidence that Philip was indeed a man besotted with a young lady and kindly offered him another glass of wine. As he poured, he said, “Tell me, Hampton, how do you find your uncle’s lands?”

  “Ainslie Manor is in worse repair than I’d expected,” Philip replied ruefully. On safe ground, he talked freely of the problems he had encountered and the methods he’d used to solve them. He concluded by saying, an edge of bitterness in his voice, “I had not realized what a toll the war had taken on this area.”

  “And not only on your lands,” Strathern said heavily. “There is no one hereabouts, from landowner to tenant, who hasn’t had cause to curse the day the Roundhead troops rode into West Easton.”

  “Surely not everyone was affected!”

  “Everyone,” Strathern said flatly. His eyes were hard as they bored into Philip, but his voice was even. “After the Battle of Worchester young King Charles hid in this area while trying to escape to France. Cromwell’s troops were frantic to find him. They burned crops and houses, harassed and even raped our women and threatened to hang the influential men of the area, your uncle among them, in their efforts to force us to give up the king. Before that time this was a moderate community. There were those who supported the monarchy and those who were for parliament. After that there were only Royalists. You have known exile for your beliefs, Sir Philip. You must be able to understand.”

  Philip nodded, his expression hooded. “I believe West Easton is not the only area in England to feel so strongly. King Charles need only choose his moment carefully and he will be able to regain his throne without difficulty.”

  There was a moment of silence as Strathern scrutinized Philip’s face. When he replied at last, his voice was careful. “As to that, I cannot say. I only know that we of West Easton have suffered greatly under the care of the Lord Protector.” He shrugged and smiled, dismissing the subject as he resumed a proper public facade. “Indeed, if Richard Cromwell is a wise man he will be a kinder master for England than his father was.”

  Philip raised one black brow skeptically. “I hope you do not count on that, Lord Strathern. Richard Cromwell is not the man his father was.”

  “My point exactly,” Strathern said dryly. “England is fortunate that Oliver Cromwell no longer rules. The time has come for change and Richard will help to effect it.”

  Philip looked deep into his glass, then lifted it high. “To change then.”
>
  “Peaceful change,” Abigail added softly.

  “Amen to that,” said Strathern, drinking deeply.

  *

  Up in her bedroom Alysa had sent a servant to have her horse saddled and was watching her maid lay out her riding habit when Prudence surged into the room.

  “I knew it! Sir Philip is attracted to you!” she announced dramatically as she flopped inelegantly onto the bed.

  “Don’t let Mama see you do that, Prue, or she will have you walking the halls with weighty books on your head to ensure you have the proper deportment.”

  “Poo! Mama is busy helping Papa ascertain if Sir Philip is a proper escort for you.” Prudence shifted restlessly. “Honestly, Alysa, I cannot understand how Papa can doubt the man’s integrity. After all, he did rescue you, didn’t he?”

  Alysa shot her a level look. “After you jabbed my poor beast with a hatpin and scared it half to death, Sir Philip did the only thing a gentleman could do!”

  “But you heard him, Alysa! He said he was most affected by you.”

  Alysa sat down on a low stool while her maid began untying the laces at the back of her gown. “I must admit that Sir Philip is an interesting man. I believe there is more to him than appears on the surface.”

  “Aha! I knew it!” Prudence bounced a couple of times on the bed to her sister’s amusement. “You are as attracted to him as he is to you!”

  Alysa smiled at her enthusiasm. “I would not put it quite that way.”

  Prudence looked down at her hands. “He makes Cedric Ingram seem quite dull, don’t you think?” she remarked casually.

  The gown came free and the maid pushed it from Alysa’s shoulders. Distracted, Alysa waved her hand for the servant to stop while she considered what Prudence had said. “Prue, are you harboring a fancy for Cedric? Because if you are….”

  “Don’t be silly!” Prudence said gaily. “In sooth, Alysa, your precious Cedric is safe from my wiles.”

  “I didn’t mean anything like that, Prue! Only that you would be better not to think of Cedric in that way. I believe his tastes run to more mature women.” Alysa allowed the servant to resume her task. The bodice was removed and she stood to allow the maid to untie the loose folds of her skirt.

  Prudence, who was only sixteen and just out of the schoolroom, blushed hard. “I will be older one day.” She blinked and managed a bright little smile. “But that is not what we were talking about! Alysa, you are the most dreadful of sisters for finding anything about. Do you like Sir Philip Hampton? There, I have asked you straight out. Be so kind as to favor me with an equally direct answer.”

  Alysa loved her half sister dearly, so she laughed and gave Prudence as honest an answer as she was able. “I find Sir Philip to be an enigma. At times he seems to be the perfect courtier, as he was when he first arrived today. Then words tripped from his tongue and he was all charm. It was easy to believe him to be a Royalist gentleman just home from exile. Then later he became tongue-tied and blushed like a schoolboy over words that should have flowed off his tongue like honey. And then I wonder.”

  “What do you wonder?”

  The maid slipped the long, full skirt of the riding habit over Alysa’s head and arranged it around her slender waist before fitting the bodice, fashioned in the form of a man’s doublet, over her shoulders. When it was buttoned, Alysa said softly, “Whether Sir Philip is truly the Royalist brother or if he is the one who chose to follow the Roundheads.”

  Prudence gasped. “Alysa! Are you mad? If he is the Roundhead brother we could all be in terrible danger.”

  “That, dear little sister, is why I plan to see as much as possible of Sir Philip Hampton,” Alysa said lightly, pausing before a mirror to put on the low-crowned hat with the jaunty feather in the brim that matched the riding habit.

  “Cedric Ingram may not understand,” Prudence warned. Her voice sounded hopeful.

  Alysa smiled at her reflection. “That is a risk I shall have to take.”

  Chapter 4

  From the top of the Fenwick Cliffs it was possible to see for miles. Below, fields made the landscape a patchwork, until trees marked the abrupt break into a sandy beach that curved in a small cove. Where Alysa and Philip had stopped their horses the cliff top was rocky and bare, but to either side the slope allowed for the growth of thick stands of trees. As Lord Strathern had said, the ride there was an easy one and the view was spectacular.

  Philip wasn’t looking at the scenery, however. Instead he watched Alysa Leighton. Sitting tall and straight in the saddle, she was a lovely, vibrant woman and he was disconcerted by the growing pleasure he found being in her company. Indulgently, he let her fill his eyes and thoughts.

  On the ride to this spot they had been able to gallop several times and the wind had put roses in the smooth creamy skin of her cheeks. Her eyes sparkled with pleasure, deepening the blue to a glittering sapphire, while the smile that curled her full lips eased the pouty bow that was their shape in repose. As he watched her, he thought she seemed more open, more innocent, than when they had met before.

  This observation was confirmed as she looked over at him with glowing eyes and said softly, “I have been here many times, but I never fail to enjoy the fine prospect. Would you mind, sir, if we dismounted for a moment?”

  “Of course, Mistress Alysa.” He turned to the groom, who was riding a discreet distance behind, and ordered him to hold the horses. Then he dismounted and helped Alysa down from her perch. She slid easily into his arms, feeling like a featherweight. Inadvertently, his hands closed more tightly around her slender waist as he held her inches from the ground. She was smiling, but slowly the smile died as they both became aware that she was a woman and he a man.

  She said his name softly. It was the polite protest of a lady to a gentleman who was encroaching too far, but her eyes were warm on him, expressing her pleasure more strongly than the mild protest. Philip felt the heat in her gaze burn through him. Giving in to a whim, he drew her closer as he lowered her to the ground. Alysa’s breath caught. So did his. He felt as if he was on fire in every place she touched.

  Shaken, he said the first thing that came into his mind. “The view is as fine as I was led to believe.”

  Alysa’s eyes widened, for he was staring directly at her. “I have always loved this particular spot. Would you care to walk a ways, Sir Philip?”

  He nodded soberly. The longer they stood so close together that their bodies were almost touching, the more difficult it became for him not to indulge in a further whim and bend his head to taste the moist freshness of her lovely, pouting mouth. However, to give in to that indulgence would be mad, for not only was a servant a mere few feet away, but he had sworn that he would not seduce Alysa Leighton while he sought to ingratiate himself into Royalist life in West Easton.

  They ambled along the edge of the cliff admiring the neat, well-kept fields and the blue-green of the sea as it lapped against the gold of the sandy beach. “Permit me to compliment you on your riding skills, Sir Philip,” Alysa said after a moment. She cast him a sideways glance that was flirtatious, but totally controlled. “I was not in a position to do so when you so gallantly saved me, but I did notice then, and again today, that you ride with the ease of one born to the saddle.”

  Philip smiled, once more on his guard. The beautiful, natural woman who attracted him so dangerously a few minutes before had been lost behind the artificial airs of a Royalist lady. The game of thrust and counterthrust had begun again. With a careful blend of truth and innuendo, he said, “I learned from my father, who was famous at court for his riding ability.” That Philip had polished his skills during his long years in parliament’s and later Cromwell’s cavalry was not at issue here.

  “How interesting.” Alysa’s slanting gaze remained flirtatious, but lurking beneath there was a glimmer of hard intelligence. “I do not remember your uncle, Sir Richard Hampton, as being a particularly good rider.”

  Philip laughed. “To hear my father tell
it, he wasn’t. Uncle Richard didn’t quite hate horses, but he saw them only as a means of transportation. Apparently my grandfather had a penchant for rather wild horses and my uncle had the misfortune of trying to ride one of the half-broken stallions when he was still only a lad. He broke his arm rather badly, as well as several ribs. After that Uncle Richard was more cautious about his choice of mounts.”

  “That explains it then. Your father, I gather, was always able to master your grandfather’s string of wild horses?”

  Philip nodded, lost in memories of the past. In his mind’s eye, he could see his father stroking the nose of a particularly unruly stallion, gentling it with his touch and the quiet murmur of his voice. “My father had a way with horses and it seems my grandfather respected him for it. Richard was never allowed to forget that, even though he was the heir, it was my father whom my grandfather favored. That was why, when my grandfather died, my father exiled himself to court. The animosity bred up because of that simple difference between the two brothers was so strong that it drove them apart permanently.”

  “Exiled! What a strange word to use. I thought court life was in your blood.”

  The surprise in Alysa’s voice brought Philip back to the present with a start. Careful! He thought.

  He smoothed his expression as he once more assumed the role that had been laid out for him. “My father served the king and so we lived in London during my growing years. Occasionally my brother and I would be brought to court to play with the young princes, but it was not really until after the war and I was in exile, that I assumed a position, albeit a minor one, at court. As children, my brother and I were allowed to visit Ainslie a few times and it seemed to me that to live in the country was the perfect existence.” He smiled faintly. “Whenever we visited Ainslie our tutors stayed in London, so we were allowed to run free, which we were never permitted to do in London. I think that colored my view of country life considerably.”